Dodge, Ram Take Top Two Spots in 2021 APEAL Study
Photo: FCA
The J.D. Power U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study evaluates how emotionally appealing new vehicles are to owners. Dodge and Ram earned the first- and second-best rankings in the 2021 APEAL Study, respectively, and this is the second year in a row that they have done so.
Choosing the Right Ram Truck: Check out the 2021 Ram 1500 trim lineup
What did the study reveal about the brands?
Photo: FCA
In the 26th APEAL Study, new vehicle owners gave their opinions on 37 attributes, like how fun it is to drive each vehicle and how comfortable it is to sit in the driver’s seat. Mass-market brands earned an average APEAL score of 845 out of 1,000, while premium brands scored 864.
Dodge received 882 points, which is the same as Porsche — the top-ranking premium brand. Ram was close behind with a score of 881. A single point separated the automakers in the 2020 study too, but they each now have 10 more points than they did last year.
In the 2021 APEAL Study, both Dodge and Ram outperformed every other mass-market brand and premium brand besides Porsche. Dodge is the very first domestic brand to be the top-ranking mass-market brand for two years in a row.
Photo: FCA
When looking at specific models, the Dodge Charger had the second-highest ranking in the large car segment, while the Durango was the second-best upper midsize SUV. The Ram 1500 also topped the large light-duty pickup class for the second straight year, and the Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 came in second place in the large heavy-duty pickup class. Jeep didn’t perform well in the study overall, but the Gladiator did take second in the midsize pickup category.
Ram and Dodge also excelled in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study this year, though Ram came first while Dodge came second. It seems likely that their winning streak will continue for other J.D. Power studies in the near future.
Amanda Drago lives in West Chester, Ohio with her wonderful family, which includes her adorable dog, Coco. Amanda recently graduated from Miami University with degrees in both marketing and creative writing. However, if she was ever forced to change career paths, she imagines that she would train dogs for movies. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, and watching Netflix. She also has a special place in her heart for theatre and purchases tickets to as many shows as she can. See more articles by Amanda.